Eggs: Healthy And High In Nutritional Value
Q: Why is egg consumption good for health and what nutritional value does it provide?
A: Easy-to-digest protein quality; plus a great source of vital antioxidants
A single egg is a powerhouse of nutrition at just 77 calories making it an effective, easy-to-cook weight management food. Apart from its easy-to-digest protein quality, eggs are also a great source of vital antioxidants like lutein, zeaxanthin and choline that build immunity, strengthen hair, skin and nails, the health of the eyes, to name just a few.
Though the egg white has higher levels of protein as compared to the egg yolk, it is the egg yolk that contains the vital A, D, E, and K fat soluble vitamins, the healthy fat and the cholesterol approx. 210 mg.
Therefore it is best to eat the whole egg for maximum nutrition. While some studies recommend upto 3 whole eggs a day depending on your lifestyle and dietary cholesterol levels, safe estimates recommend about 6 yolks a week or 6 eggs in a week. 6 eggs per week is good for most people as part of a balanced diet. Those who are diabetic or have heart disease should check with their physician but general recommendations are a maximum of 3 yolks per week only.
Recent research has increasingly shown that the dietary cholesterol that eggs contain is not harmful and does not affect blood cholesterol levels. However for maximum health benefits eggs that are boiled, baked poached or scrambled and cooked lightly are healthy and safe to consume. Those that that are deep-fried and over-cooked are not healthy. This is because deep frying increases saturated fat content and it is this saturated fat found in butter/ghee and Trans fats found in processed foods that increase blood cholesterol levels.
This excerpt was taken from a short interview conducted as part of the CLFMA Knowledge Series #askthenutritionist #2 by MADHURI RUIA on #worldeggday
